The equation is pretty simple, when you think about it: Thereare those who have nothing, and those who can help them—and whencharity works, the story should be heard.

Our cover feature this month delivers the first salvo in ahigh-profile campaign to recognize the charitable efforts of theinsurance industry, which to date has not truly received its due.It's also the kickoff of an effort by the National UnderwriterProperty & Casualty brand to share stories of thecountless good works being done by those in the business ofinsurance. Which seems fitting, given that the annual benefitdinner hosted by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation'sNortheast Division is set for Dec. 10 at New York's WaldorfAstoria.

Intended synergy in the timing? Not actually. I wish I could sayI possessed that level of cunning, but I'll take it.

The thing is, the insurance industry can sometimes beincorrectly perceived as a collection of companies that take morethan they give. For many, insurance coverage—be it home, auto orother protections—is in many cases a mandatory purchase, and thosewho never have to file a claim will never see a return on thatinvestment.

Altering that misperception begins with opening a dialogue abouthow insurance professionals regularly help folks who need it most,year-round—and we aim to accomplish that by sharing those goodwillstories on our web portal.

Let me be clear: I'm not talking about handing out a license tomindlessly pound one's chest here—especially at the corporatelevel—when taking credit for charitable work. I've seen cases ofthe “charity brag” time and again in my career, and it'scringe-inducing. I once was called onto the carpet by myeditor-in-chief at the time, over a call during which onesmall-time corporate donor demanded to know when his namewould appear in the newspaper, publicly acknowledging his gift toour paper's campaign that raised money for children's charities inStaten Island.

Even as a young reporter, I had a low tolerance for suchgrandstanding. I called him on it.

“Can I ask you a question?” I said. “Are you donating to thecampaign because you want to help children, or are you doing it tosee your name in the paper?”

Cue my invitation to the editor's office, less than an hourlater.

“Did you really ask him that?” my boss asked, genuinelystunned.

“Yes, I did,” I replied.

“Well … you can't!” he said, flabbergasted. “Don't everdo that again.” End of conversation.

Two decades later, I maintain that keeping people honest is partof a journalist's job—and so is telling great stories.

That's where you come in.

This month, we're launching on PropertyCasualty360.com a speciallanding page titled “Charity Works” that will serve as a nationalplatform for precisely this kind of personalized storytelling—aplace where everyone from the corner independent agent to thebiggest broker, carrier or other entity can share tales of howtheir actions changed lives. It will be about people,about real, human interaction. Real emotions. The kind shared bymany of the subjects in our cover feature, which begins on p.22.

Let me tell you what you will not find on the “CharityWorks” landing page: press releases or canned statements. That'snot what this editorial project is about. What it is aboutis sharing stories of how people in the insurance business take thetime to give something back—and the individuals they help.

If you have such a story to tell, I encourage you to share itwith us and your fellow industry members. Send it to [email protected],and we will post them as our workflow allows. Please bear with usas we get things off the ground; if you don't see yours appearright away, don't worry. It will appear in time. We thank you inadvance for your patience.

Meanwhile, I wish each and every one of you a safe, joyousholiday season and a Happy New Year. Here's to great things in2015.